Paint applicator

ABSTRACT

This invention is a paint applicator comprising a hollow cylindrically shaped relatively rigid tube being closed at both of its ends, but with opening means available to fill the cylinder with paint or the like and having means to accept a handle-holding mechanism to enable the cylinder to be rolled across a surface. The cylinder will normally be covered on its outside by a spreading material such as felt or the like and will have sufficient apertures interconnecting between the felt covering and the interior of the cylinder to allow constant feeding of the material within the cylinder to the applicating material. In its preferred form it will be further encased in an easily strippable material to avoid evaporation until it is used.

ilnited States Patent 91 Wilmans I PAINT APPLICATOR Stephen C. Wllmans, P.O. Box 1263, Avaneda D. Acacias, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. 92067 [22] Filed: Dec. 30, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 102,670

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. ..40l/l97, 401/132 1 Jan. 23, 1973 Primary Examinerl ,awrence Charles Attorney-Herbert C. Schulze [5 7 ABSTRACT This invention is a paint applicator comprising a hollow cylindrically shaped relatively rigid tube being closed at both of its ends, but with opening means available to fill the cylinder with paint or the like and having means to accept a handle-holding mechanism to enable the cylinder to be rolled across a surface. The cylinder will normally be covered on its outside by a spreading material such as felt or the like and will have sufficient apertures interconnecting between the felt covering and the interior of the cylinder to allow constant feeding of the material within the cylinder to the applicating material. In its preferred form it will be further encased in an easily strippable material to avoid evaporation until it is used.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures l PAINT APPLICATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to applicators for paint and other such substances and particularly relates to a preferred applicator for such substances in which the interior of the applicator is a container for the substance being applied.

2. Description of the Prior Art There are many so-called paint rollers and such applicators for paints and other similar materials. Such paint rollers, for example, require dipping into paint in order to be effectively used.

I do know that complex rollers have been designed and marketed which have hoses or the like carrying paint to the roller under pressure. Such devices do have the advantage of not requiring dipping, but nonetheless they do not have in common the features of my particular device in which the roller itself becomes a container for paint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There are great uses today for paints and similar materials to be applied to surfaces of all types such as wall surfaces, floor surfaces, furniture, and numerous other articles. In recent years, certain paints, particularly, have been developed which are susceptible of relatively easy application by the use of a flocked, felt, wool, or other fabric-covered roller which is dipped into paint and then rolled with an appropriate handle across the surface to be coated. ln general, such application is easier for the average person than is application by customary brushes and the like. For this reason, such paint rollers have achieved wide useage in past recent years, and even commercial painters frequently use such rollers for application of paint.

A frustrating and time consuming procedure, however, is frequent clipping of the roller in paint, generally in a tray or the like in order to pick up more material to be spread upon the surface being coated. A great portion of the time spent upon any such paint job becomes that portion of the time in which the paint is being applied to the roller before being transferred to the surface.

I have devised an economical roller, together with packaging of paints for small jobs, which eliminates the need of trays, the wasted time in connection with the use of such trays, and the clean up subsequently of such items.

I have devised a combination of a roller cylinder being covered on the outside with appropriate applicating material in which the basic roller has suitable perforations to allow the gradual transfer of paint or the like from the interior of the roller to the applicating exterior surface. Additionally, in its preferred form, I haveprovided for complete containment in a disposable unit of the paint or other suchcoating material itself together with its applicator andsuitable means for applying to a handle for use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mearfs for applying paint in which the paint is contained on the interior of such means and is applied from the exterior of such means; i

It is a further object of this invention to supply a prepackaged container of coating materials suitable to have an exterior wrapping stripped therefrom; a handle attached and application directly with ultimate disposal of the entire unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for applying paint and other coating materials to surfaces in which it is not necessary to dip the device into the coating material.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will be clear to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of a preferred embodiment which follows in conjunction with the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective of a preferred embodiment of the roller of this invention as supplied, packaged with paint;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the same embodiment shown in FIG. 1 partially broken away to show the details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with the exterior covering removed, with handle attached, as in use; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective of the end of the device in an alternate embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In its preferred embodiment, it will be observed that the device comprises essentially a closed container the exterior portion including a completely impervious shell. Within the shell is a basic cylindrically shaped portion 1 l and two ends, 20 and 30. Each of the ends is identical to the other and each has a small round depression or the like as indicated at 31 and 32. These depressions are suitable to accept the rounded, or balllike ends on the handle, hereinafter described. Means, such as a pull-away strip 23-33 may be provided generally familiar to the zip-top cans used for soft drinks and the like for easily separating the cylindrical outer covering from the encased roller container. Also,

' the outer covering may merely be of plastic or the like and heat sealed or similarly attached to provide a proper impervious container, or it may be cut with any customary cutting tools.

The handle 50 is seen to comprise a convenient molded plastic hand grip 51 or the like, having extending therefrom a fork-like arrangement consisting of two arms 52 and 53 spread apart from one another and bent at angles suitable to engage the container applicator as shown. Each of the arms has a ball-like, or rounded, end 55 and 56 respectively, which ends fit within the depressions 31 and 32 in the ends of the applicator container.

It will be seen that each of.the ends 20 and 30 is fixedly attached within one end of the interior roller 40 which is formed of a plastic sleeve or the like 41 having suitable holes 42 throughout its surface to allow the material within to go through the cylinder 41. The cylinder 41 is also seen to be covered with flocking, felt or other suitable applicating material 45.

Paint or the like is placed within the entire unit during manufacture. In use, the paint gradually passes through the holes during use in order'to allow continued use of the applicator without the necessity of renewing the paint or the like by dipping or other means of applying the same.

Since this item is a wholly contained item in an impervious outer shell until such shell is stripped for use, it can be shaken or agitated in customary fashion or by hand before use to insure that the paint or other substance being used is throughly mixed before application.

In FIG. 4 there is shown the same device for applying paints and other coatings in which there is the same roller device having suitable applicating means on its exterior surface and perforations to its interior, and with ends to contain material within the device together with a closable opening into which may be poured paint or other material from time to time as desired to refill. The same handle means is associated with this device as is shown in FIG. 2.

While the embodiment of this invention shown and described is fully capable of achieving the object and advantages desired, the embodiment so shown is for illustrative purposes only and not for purposes of limitation.

I claim:

1. A disposable device for containing and applying liquid materials comprising a perforated cylinder, a closure fastened to each of the two ends of said cylinder, each of said closures having an hemispherical indentation in its center; a spreading material applied to the exterior of said cylinder; a coating liquid within the said cylinder; an impervious, removable covering enclosing the exterior of said cylinder, and being separable therefrom by means of a tear strip cooperable with said covering so as to sever it about the ends and length for removal from said cylinder; and handle means having hemispherical ends cooperative with said hemispherical indentations after the said removable covering has been stripped therefrom, for the purpose of rolling said cylinder upon the surface to which the coating liquid is to be applied. 

1. A disposable device for containing and applying liquid materials comprising a perforated cylinder, a closure fastened to each of the two ends of said cylinder, each of said closures having an hemispherical indentation in its center; a spreading material applied to the exterior of said cylinder; a coating liquid within the said cylinder; an impervious, removable covering enclosing the exterior of said cylinder, and being separable therefrom by means of a tear strip cooperable with said covering so as to sever it about the ends and length for removal from said cylinder; and handle means having hemispherical ends cooperative with said hemispherical indentations after the said removable covering has been stripped therefrom, for the purpose of rolling said cylinder upon the surface to which the coating liquid is to be applied. 